Mind Your "Ps" and PUEs

There's a new currency in data centers these days. And it has nothing to do with dollars and cents or even SPECmarks and gigabits per second. "The growing global concern with energy supplies and greatly increased consumption from countries such as India and China shortly make 'Joules' the world's most important currency," says Ron Mann, director of engineering and data center infrastructure at HP. "Energy costs are in an inescapable upward spiral, and IT expansion and use continue to grow."

Fortunately, along with new challenges, there are new options for controlling energy consumption and costs. Server and power-management hardware options now come with monitors and other tools for onboard intelligence. And they can make organizations smarter about how they use energy and therefore save money.